Like a River

Muito Kaballa are a nine-piece collective based in Cologne, Germany, that formed in 2019; now, just a few years on, they are already releasing their fourth studio album, Like a River, an exquisite offering of compositions flowing between psychedelia and Afro-fusion.

Based around three core tracks (‘Like A River’ parts I, II and III), the group have put the water theme front and centre on this record, both metaphorically and sonically. The earlier tracks are mellower, with the compositions intensifying and the textures thickening as the album goes on — mirroring, no doubt, the journey water makes from its source, down the river and out to sea.

In a style that is slightly reminiscent of Khruangbin, the sumptuous ripple effect in the ‘All This While (feat Reinel Bakole)’ intro and outro leaves the impression that each note is a pebble skimming the top of a still lake, the sound spreading out in all directions. There are some instrumental tracks, but most feature Nora Beisel's vocals, with the lyrics more introspective than their previous albums, addressing themes of personal change and transformation. Reinel Bakole's vocals add a cryptic, coarser quality to two of the tracks, contrasting nicely with Beisel's smoother vocals on the rest.

Like a River traps you in its current and doesn’t let go.